The Last Duel's Ridley Scott Blames Millennials and "F--king Cellphones" for Box Office Flop

Over a month after The Last Duel starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck opened in theaters to less-than-stellar ticket sales, director Ridley Scott is sharing his take on the possible cause.

By Kisha Forde Nov 23, 2021 4:04 PMTags

Academy Award-nominated director Ridley Scott thinks he knows why his latest project, The Last Duel, wasn't able to spar with its competitors at the box office.
 
The acclaimed director addressed the film's less-than-ideal grossing numbers during the latest episode of Marc Maron's WTF podcast. Despite receiving rave reviews from critics, The Last Duel—a movie released in mid-October starring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Jodie Comer—only raked in $28 million against a production budget of $100 million.
 
"Disney did a fantastic promotion job," Scott said of the movie's production studios, adding that "the bosses loved the movie… I was concerned it was not for them."
 
According to Ridley, there may be a particular generation that might be to blame for the absence in sales. "I think what it boils down to," he said. "What we've got today [are] the audiences who were brought up on these f--king cellphones. The millennian [sic] do not ever want to be taught anything unless you're told it on a cellphone."

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"This is a broad stroke, but I think we're dealing with it right now with Facebook," Ridley added. "This is a misdirection that has happened where it's given the wrong kind of confidence to this latest generation, I think."

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Although The Last Duel was considered to be a box-office bust, Ridley—whose career spans over 50 years and has countless films including Alien, Gladiator and Blade Runner under his belt—has seen more than his fair share of both critical and commercial success. Not to mention, his latest upcoming film, House of Gucci starring Lady Gaga and Adam Driver, is all anyone can think about.

So, as far as The Last Duel goes, Ridley said he ultimately stands by his work and has only one true critic in mind to appease.
 
"We all thought it was a terrific script," he shared of the movie. "And we made it. You can't win all the time. I've never had one regret on any movie I've ever made. Nothing. I learned very early on to be your own critic. The only thing you should really have an opinion on is what you just did. Walk away. Make sure you're happy. And don't look back. That's me."